Tuft forming and spacing device for axminster looms



y 1934- w. w. ROBERTSON 58,113

TUFT FORMING AND SPACING DEVICE FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Filed Jan. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

y 1934- w. w. ROBERTSON 1,958,113

TUFT FORMING AND SPACING DEVICE FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

@5 W M fiJwf a/v Af W Patented -May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUFT FORMING AND SPACING DEVICE FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Application January 26, 1933, Serial No. 653,534

13 Claims. (Cl. 139-8) This invention relates to improvements in Axminster carpet looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved guide means for the tuft yarns of the tube frame which are movable to assist in curving the yarns to form tufts.

Axminster looms of the Smith type employ a series of tube frames which are moved one at a time from the chains to cloth forming position, and means are provided to roll the frames to project the yarn tubes and yarns through the binder threads preparatory to tuft formation. The yarn tubes move forwardly from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position, and the tube frames are thereafter raised to pull off enough yarn for the next row of tufts before the tufts are cut.

When a soft fabric is desired cotton filling may be used the effect of which is to contract the fabric. This contraction can be counteracted by the use of a nose board having a series of teeth which hold the binder warps spaced against the action of the filling. The teeth may have upwardly extending hooks over which the tufts extend and it is an important object of my present invention to provide a series of movable yarn guiding and tuft forming elements which are normally in low position to permit operation of the weft needle. The elements are raised during the latter part of the tuft forming beat of the loom to engage the free ends of the tuft yarns and move the same first to a horizontal rearwardly projecting position, and then to a substantially erect position. This action on the part of the elements insures correct alignment of the yarns and produces a fabric having a clean back.

It is another object of my invention to form the yarn controlling elements so that they will insure movement of the color yarns upwardly between the binder warps while still retained in parallel position. It is to be understood that one of the difficulties encountered in weaving a fabric having the pattern on the back is to secure correct alignment of the tuft yarns with the binder threads during the first part of the tuft forming operation, and the structure set forth herein accomplishes this result by moving the yarn guides upwardly with the tuft yarns.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a detailed top plan view on an inlarged scale showing certain of the tuft controlling ele ments and their associated parts, and 60 Figs. 3 to 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating the method of operating the elements.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame 10 having a cam shaft 11 with a cam plate 12. The latter has secured thereto cam tappets 13, 14 and 15 which successively engage a cam lever 16. The latter is operatively connected to a lay lever 17 which may be fixed to a shaft 18. A lay beam 19 is secured to the shaft by arms 20 and carries a 9- reed 21 having dents 22. The cam tappets may be so designed as to give the reed its usual forward movements, or they may move the reed as set forth in application Ser. No. 575,190 filed by Dacey and myself. Cutter blades 25 and 26 75 may be of the usual type if desired.

A pull-over shaft 30 drives a chain 31 which is supplied with tube frames one of which is set forth at 32. This tube frame is shown as being disconnected from the chain and held by an arm 30 33 carrying a releasing clutch 34. The tube frame is manipulated in a manner very similar to that found in the ordinary Smith type of AX- minster loom by mechanism including a moving support 35 and an operating link 36.

It is to be understood that in normal operation the chain 31 is given a step by step movement to present the tube frames to operative position one at a. time, and that each tube frame is removed from the chain and given a sequence of-movements substantially the same as that in ordinary looms of the type mentioned, after which the tube frame is returned to the chain.

In order that cotton filling may be used in the fabric being woven I provide the loom with a nose 9 board 40 having teeth 41 spaced by slots 42 positioned to receive the reed dents 22. Each tooth is provided with an upstanding hook 43 and a rear downwardly inclined surface 44. The binders B and 13' pass between the teeth and lie in Q the notches or slots 42. The nose board is secured to the front part of the loom and is fixed longitudinally of the loom with respect to the path of movements of the reed dents.

The matter thus far described may operate in 135 the usual manner or may be manipulated according to the previously mentioned application.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide a series of yarn controlling elements extending across the loom, each element preferably being pivoted at a point behind the lay and extending between the reeds of the latter and resting against the inclined surfaces 44. Each element is shown in Fig. 2 as having two parallel vertical walls 50 and 51, respectively, connected at their forward ends by an integral yarn lifter 52. The rear parts of the elements are pivotally mounted on a fixed rod or support 53, the walls being spaced by collars 54 mounted on the rod 53. The parts of the elements intermediate the yarn lifters and pivotal support are depressed as at 55 to provide room for the weft laying needle N.

In order to provide means for swinging the yarn controlling elements around the pivotal supporting rod 53 I provide a control lever at each side of the loom and extend between the upper arms 61 of said levers a lifting rod 62. The shaft 11 has secured thereto a pair of cam plates 63 each having a cam patch 64 to engage a roll 65 on the adjacent lever 60. The undersides of the elements 50 are curved as at 66 to coact with the rod 62 and raise the elements as the rod advances. By the mechanism just described a single rotation of the shaft 11 will move the lifting rod 60 forwardly once, or in other words, the elements are raised every third beat of the lay according to the particular disclosure set forth herein.

In operation, the cam tappet 13 may be so designed as to move the reed to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 on the first of a series of three beats comprising a cycle of the loom. Such an action will leave the first shot of filling F immediately behind the hooks 43 and close to the inclined faces 44. During this beat the cam roll 65 rides on a dwell '70 forming the greater part of each of the cam disks 63. The lay then moves back and the tube frame moves down, the yarn tubes being positioned in some such position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, after which the tube frame is rolled forwardly, passing through the dot and dash position to the full line position where the yarn tubes '71 are between the walls of the associated yarn controlling elements. This operation locates the tuft yarns within their respective elements.

A second shot of filling F is then laid by the needle and the reed moved forwardly as indicated in Fig. 5 by cam tappet 15. The latter is somewhat higher than tappet 13 and advances the two shots of filling with the tuft yarns between them over the hooks to a position in front of the latter, as suggested in Fig. '7.

During the interval between the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the tappet 64 oscillates the lifting lever 60 to move the lifter rod 62 forwardly and cause all the elements to swing upwardly about their pivotal support 53. Normally the bridging yarn lifting parts 52 lie against the surfaces 44, but as the elements are raised they engage the front part of the color yarn ends and bend them upwardly to cause said yarns first to lie under and then to project upwardly behind the second shot of filling F The upward movement of the elements accompanies passage of the yarns over the hooks, so that the color yarns, which start their bending operation between the walls of the elements, are kept substantially in this position by the rising elements and during the greater part of the tuft forming operation.

As soon as the tufts have moved to the position shown in Fig. 7 the cam tappet 64 moves away from the lever 60 and the yarn controll'ng elements fall back to their normal position, being supported by the teeth of the nose board.

As soon as the reed is again in rear position the needle will lay the third shot of filling which will be beaten up in the usual manner over the hook to complete the cycle of three picks. While I have described my invention as operating in connection with a three shot Axminster fabric, yet I do not wish to be limited to a fabric having this number of shots for each row of tufts. The lifting of the tube frame to pull off yarn for the next row may be accomplished after the parts are in the position shown in Fig. '7, or, if desired, during the movement of the tuft yarns up the surfaces 44. The strain incident to pulling-off gives a clean, tight back to the fabric.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a series of yarn controlling elements each having a pair of walls between which the yarn tubes of the tube frame pass so as to guide the color or tuft yarns into parallel vertical relationship, and that said elements are thereafter raised to maintain guide relation with respect to the color yarns. Dru-ing this raising another part of the elements become effective to lift the color yarns and assist in tuft formation. The elements are so controlled as to permit the usual operations of the needle motion and lie between the binders and reed dents so as to define unobstructed spaces for the tuft yarns. The forward upper surfaces of the elements may also be so positioned as to require the second shot of filling F to move substantially horizontally against the tuft yarns regardless of the angular position of the lower shed B.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a set of guide plates substantially parallel to the binder warps, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, means to place the tuft tubes between the spacer plates preparatory to the formation of tufs, means to raise the tube frame and move the same forwardly over the hooks to form tufts in the tuft yarns, and means to raise the guide plates to keep the tuft yarns aligned.

2. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks over which the tufts are formed, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of movable tuft yarn guide members substantially parallel to the binder warps, means to move the yarn tubes to positions between the members to cause the tuft yarns to be in parallel vertica planes, and means to raise the members to guide the tuft yarns during tuft formation as the tufts pass over the hooks.

3. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, means to operate the tube frame to cause the tuft yarns to move from a position behind the hooks to positions in front of the latter, vertical guides to space the tuft yarns during a portion of the operation of the tube frame, and means to raise the guides during the tuft forming operation to preserve the tuft yarns in parallel relation.

4. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, means to move the tube frame to cause the tuft yarns to move from positions behind the hooks to positions over the latter, and tuft forming elements movable during the tuft forming operation to raise the tuft yarns as the latter start to move over the hooks.

5. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, the rear faces of the hooks being inclined upwardly and forwardly, means to dip the tube frame to cause the tuft yarns to extend beveen the binders, means to lay a pick of filling behind the tuft yarns, tuft forming elements adjacent the inclined faces of the hooks, a reed to move the tuft yarns and pick of filling along the tuft forming elements and over the hooks, and means to raise the elements during the tuft forming operation to curve the free ends of the yarns around said. pick of filling.

6. In an Axminster loom operating w;th binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of yarn aligning and tuft forming elements, means to move the tube frame to place the tuft yarns between said elements, a reed to advance the tufts over the hooks, and means to raise said elements during the tuft forming operation to lift the free ends of the tuft yarns.

7. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft form-ing hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of movable yarn guiding and tuft forming elements located between the binder warps, means to move the tube frame to cause the color yarns to lie between the elements during the first part of the tuft forming operation, means to lay a pick of filling behind the tuft yarns, a reed to move the pick of filling and tuft yarns forwardly and over the hooks, and means effective to lift the elements during the tuft forming operation to cause said elements to engage and raise the free ends of the tuft yarns and move the raised ends up behind the pick of filling.

8. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of yarn guiding and tuft forming elements between the binders, means to give the tube frame a tuft forming operation to cause the tuft yarns to lie between the elements and to raise the tube frame during tuft forming oper ation, means to lay a pick of filling behind the tuft yarns, a reed to move the filling and tuft yarns forwardly over the hooks, and mechanism to elevate the elements to cause the same to preserve guiding relation with respect to the tuft yarns when the tube frame is raised and also engage the free ends of the tuft yarns and move the same upwardly behind the pick of filling as the latter passes over the hooks.

9. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of movable yarn guiding elements located between and substantially parallel to the binders, a reed, means to give said reed a plurality of forward beats to complete a tuft forming cycle of the loom, means to move the tube frame to cause the tuft yarns to be located between the elements on one of said beats, and means to raise the elements on that beat only of the loom when tuft yarns are being formed, the raised elements preserving the tuft yarns in parallel relation.

10. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, means to lay a pick of filling between binders, a reed to move the same to a position behind the hooks, means to give the tube frame a tuft forming operation to position the tuft yarns between the binders, a set of movable guide elements between the binders to preserve the tuft yarns in parallel relation, means to lay a second pick of filling behind the tuft yarns, the reed efiective to move both picks of filling and tufts of yarn forwardly over the hooks on the next beat of the loom, and means effective only on the last named beat of the loom to raise the elements to preserve the tuft yarns in parallel relation as said yarns are bent to form tufts.

11. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a set of movable elements each having a yarn spacing part and also a tuft forming part, the latter adjacent the hooks, means to lay a pick of filling between the binders, a reed to beat said pick of filling to a position behind the hooks, means to move the tube frame to place the tuft yarns between the guiding parts of said elements, means to lay a second pick of filling, means to advance the reed to cause the same to move both picks of filling together with the tuft yarns over the hooks to positions in front of the latter, and means to raise said elements during that beat of the lay which advances both picks of filling to a position in front of the hooks, the guiding parts of said elements preserving the tuft yarns in parallel relation as the tuft yarns move up the hooks, and the tuft forming parts assisting in bending the tuft yarns.

12. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps, spaced tuft forming hooks having upwardly and forwardly inclined rear faces, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, means to move the tuft yarns projecting from the yarn tubes on the tube frame up and forwardly along the inclined rear faces of said hooks, and tuft yarn guiding elements movable upwardly as the tuft yarns move up along said inclined rear faces to preserve the tuft yarns in parallel relation.

13. In an Axminster loom operating with binder warps and having a nose board with spaced tuft forming hooks, a tube frame having tuft tubes with tuft yarns projecting therefrom, a reed having dents, a set of yarn guiding and tuft forming elements pivoted behind the 'reed and extending between dents, the tuft forming parts of said elements extending transversely of the loinder threads and supported by the hooks, means to move the tube frames to position the tuft yarns between the elements, the reed thereafter effective to move the tuft yarns forwardly over the hooks, and means to raise the elements about their pivotal support to cause the transverse parts thereof to engage the free ends of the yarn and curve the same upwardly.

WILLIAM W. ROBERTSON. 

